The Evening Star
by LuvLucas
Summary: A girls search for her childhood friend Quatre Winner that spans the war with OZ


The Evening Star  
  
Chapter One:  
  
The evening air was cool on the night of the party. The students of the prestigious private school were decked in their best. In singles, pairs and little groups they made their way across the campuss towards the party ground. The grounds had been decorated earlier in the day by the garden staff and the lamps in the trees cast a cheerful glow on the students. They crossed the lawn quickly, eagerly, the girls walking in a ladylike fashion and the boys running and tumbling over each other. Friends waved to each other and couples met shyly by the first tables that had been set up near the makeshift dance floor. The dance floor filled slowly as music played. The lights, streamers, balloons and colourful dresses dazzles and all around were smiles and laughter. Her hand clenched involuntarily on the pendant of her silver necklace. She didn't know why she bothered attending these things. She hated parties. They only served to remind her of her lesser than thou status. She stares at the floor her waist length black hair draping over her shoulders like a nuns cowl and hiding her face from view. Hiding her frown and the fierce angry look in her pale blue eyes. Her hand tightened on the pendant again and she welcomed the sharp stabs of pain in four separate points on her palm. The star seemed to sing in protest and a tingle ran through her slight frame. She released it and it dropped back against her uniform jacket. She stared lovingly at the pendant. It was small, about three inches long and made of delicately cut crystalline glass. An evening star with three small points and the extended point at the bottom. The lights seemed to catch in the glass and reflect a thousand times over. She closed her eyes her hand wrapping around the star once more.  
  
'It's an evening star.....you know....for luck.'  
  
"luck..." she whispered.  
  
"Marka?"  
  
Marka snapped out of her memory looking up her eyes narrowing on the girl in front of her. Dressed like Marka in a school issued uniform the girl had long honey blonde hair. She smiled pleasantly. Marka glared at her.  
  
"Marka, why aren't you dancing? It is a party after all."  
  
"Relena?" Another girl approached.  
  
"Relena, where's Heero? We thought he'd come with you."  
  
Relena Dorlian, Marka thought. Daughter of a dead peace ambassador. Mistress Somebody. Poor little lamb, she's lost her daddy. I'm losing my mind.  
  
"I'll find him." Relena said turning back to Marka.  
  
Only Marka was gone.  
  
She walked acrossed the freshly cut grass without being noticed. Walking across the lawn she peered into the forest and the black beyond. With her back against a tree she looked with loathing at the school.  
  
'Everyone's having such a good time'  
  
'It's a party after all.'  
  
'It's an evening star...'  
  
"I'm dancing..." she murmured stepping away from the tree. Extending her arms she began to spin around and around till the trees and the school and the sunset became a smeared blur.  
  
"I'm dancing!"  
  
Her hair and skirts flew about her as she spun in circles around the lawn.  
  
"Do you see me?!! Do you see me dancing?!!!" she cried to noone in particulair.  
  
Marka stopped out of breath and sunk to her knees her legs tucked under her catching her breath. The sounds of the pary reached her and she turned away in disgust. Forever and a day, she thought. Since light was light and dark was dark. Mistress Nobody. She stood walking along the tree line back towards the dormatories. behind her the sun was disappearing fast behind the distant mountain range. Looking towards the boys dorms she saw a group of late comers running towards the party grounds shouting to each other.  
  
Fools, she wanted to shout. There's a war going on and you don't even know about it. Looking up at the dorms she was surprised to see a boy looking out his window. She'd thought everyone had gone to the party. Looking back towards the party she watched a figure walking steadily towards the boys dorms. Marka squinted. Relena? What was she up to? Marka started across the lawn as Relena disappeared inside the boys dorms. She looked up at the window again to see the boy was gone.  
  
"Curiouser and curiouser..." she muttered walking across the lawn. Behind her another prescence made itself felt. Marka turned listening. In the distance three mobile suit carriers appeared drifting out of the orange and purple streaked clouds like monstrous birds. The carriers flew towards the school.  
  
"now what are they doing...?" she murmured. She turned back towards the dorms in time to see the boy from the window running across the campus lawn and disappear into the trees. Looking back up at the carriers her mouth dropped open as the planes began loosing mobile suits. The ground shook as they landed. Righting themselves the enormous suits began a slow precise march towards the school. Marka turned and ran as behind her a blast from the forest dug a ditch thirty feet long barely missing the Mathematics building. Whirling on the steps of her dorm she heard screaming coming from the direction of the party as an enormous burst of yellow light erupted from the trees taking down two of the suits advancing on the school. Students were running in all directions in search of safety. Teachers shouted and tried to organize them but panick had already taken over. Marka pressed her back to the glass door of the dorm as the mobile suits began emerging from the forest. Several turned to face the enemy who was unseen in the forest as the rest opened fire on the school. The hall to her left, the Science Center. collapsed raising an enormous cloud of dust. Students ran everywhere, shouting and screaming. Girls huddled together crying. Marka looked around trying to decide in which direction safety lay when the lead mobile suit exploded in a firey ball of twisted metal and sparks. Marka blinked turning to look at the forest. Another suit was rising from the floor of the forest like a giant awakened from it's slumber. This suit was different from the others. It seemed immune to the assault of their laser rifles.Hefting the massive cannon attached to its' right arm it blew away three of the suits who were frantically firing on it. The boom that resounded as the cannon fell discarded to the forest floor made her knees shake. Turning with a speed remarkable for its' size it launched itself at the remainder of its enemies its beam sword slashing through them like a hot knife through butter. The lamps from the dying sunset reflected in its green 'eyes' and the golden horns that adorned the goliaths head. Flying backwards with an agility the suit used its power thrusters and advanced again destroying another enemy. Marka stared her throat dry. A Gundam. That's all it could be. Nothing else was so fast. So invincible. Her hand sought and clutched her necklace.  
  
'It's important. If it weren't important I wouldn't go.'  
  
'But what if your killed?'  
  
'Do you have so little faith in me?'  
  
"A Gundam..." she whispered as near her another building exploded as one of the suits knocked by the winged Gundam crashed into it.  
  
"He's arrived on Earth then...."  
  
Marka's eyes narrowed as a soldierly squareness came to her shoulders and spine. Whirling she ran into the dormatory taking the stairs two at a time.  
  
'If he's on Earth I have to go.....there is no question. I have to find to him.' she thought racing into her room.  
  
Throwing open her closet she stripped off her uniform yanking on blue jeans, t shirt and boots. Outside the battle raged on and she knew her time was short. Grabbing her duffle bag she filled it with whatever clothes she could grab and yanked on her green jacket. Freeing her hair and necklace she ran from the room and back outside as another suit exploded.  
  
'Three left...' she thought.  
  
"I need a ride."  
  
The tide has turned and the enemies were now solely occupied with the Gundam. Racing acrossed the lawn Marka darted into the trees racing through them. Leaping loqs and fallen chunks of metal she ran for the suit that stood furthest from it's comrades. He seemed confused as was firing uselessly. The suits were the new Aeries class OZ had recently distributed. Praying she remembered her teaching before the Gundam picked her she leapt onto the suit's huge metal foot. Slinging her pack acrossed her back she began to climb the metal frame avoiding the moving joints as best she could. Shimmying across the torso to the cockpit hatch she reach out and rapped on the metal door. The suit froze and in confusion the pilot opened the hatch and peered out. Grabbing him by his uniform collar Marka flung him away from the door and was in the cockpit seat before he hit the ground. Sealing the hatch she strapped in and looked around. The controls appeared simple enough. Left stick controlled the left part of the suit, the right controlled the right. Let's see. Weapons on both side, triggers on the sticks. The 'eyes' of the suit were actually it's camera's which allowed the pilot to see via the screen that lowered in front of the hatch door. Acceleration was controlled through two footpedals on the floor. Taking a deep brath Marka pressed the green button and tapped her foot against the right pedal and pulled back on the sticks. The suits thrusters roared as the forest floor dropped away. The Aeries climbed fast as below the other two suits exploded into dust. Knowing the Gundam would waste no time in destroying her Marka pulled back and left swinging the suit to the north and kicked it into high gear."Time to pay Theo a vist" Pressing down on the accelerators she let out a very unladylike whoop of joy as the suit roared off at full speed and shot off towards the horizon. Behind her the Gundam had folded itself intoa jet and flew off in the opposite direction. 


End file.
